The bothy was open for visitors to find out even more about the birds and the historic project that is bringing them back to Britain for the first time in almost 200 years. Bustard Brunches will take place on Sunday afternoons at 3.10pm during May, then dates and times will be posted on the Great Bustard Group website.

GBG’s Charles Hibberd, RSPB’s Andrew Taylor, GBG’s consultant virologist Ruth Manvell and web designer Alex Stott with Fergus.

Check out our full gallery of the day.

A group of morris dancers who base some of their routines on the lifestyle of the Great Bustard bird are coming to Devizes on May Day bank holiday Monday.

The Great Bustard morris group, based in Swindon, is coming to the Devizes Lions May Day Fair on May 7, their third visit to the event.

Full article: http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/news/9669240.Great_Bustard__team_swoop_in/

I had a productive meeting with the staff at Moscow Zoo about captive breeding of Great Bustards and about the autumn conference on the same subject.

I am with Austin Weldon, making his first trip to Russia. We got a train on Friday afternoon and as we went south we could see the trees changing from stark blackness to a bright spring like green.

We arrived in Saratov late on Saturday morning to a temperature in the high twenties and bright sunshine.

On Saturday evening we were at the Diakovka Field Station where it was warmer still. Another guest joined us, a friend and colleague who is the Director of the All Russia Scientific Institute for Nature Protection. Matters concerning the licensing, keeping of birds and collaborative GBG work in Russia were discussed. Austin had a first taste of the Russian traditional toasting with vodka!

We started the census work on Sunday afternoon. As well as the Great Bustards I have seen a Booted Eagle, White Tailed Eagles, huge numbers of Marsh and Montagus Harriers, Little Bustards and a Bittern at the side of the road. I have also seen plenty of Demoiselle Cranes, both feeding in pairs and flying north in small flocks.

Spring arrivals like the Red Footed Falcons are here, but we await the Bee Eaters and Rollers.

The field tracks are rough and dusty, but when counting Great Bustards at leks it is always rewarding.

Li’l O proved an instant hit with the pupils who were inspired to design and make models where he and the eggs were well camouflaged. The models were based on work on ecosystems, habitats and the geography of Salisbury Plain. This compliments Class 3′s current curriculum. To make the models,  pupils had to understand the specific needs of Great Bustards.

A workshop on Comeback Contenders, including beavers, large blue butterflies and wild boar, plus, of course, Great Bustards, helped the pupils gain insight into the broader picture of wildlife re-introduction, especially their own local species and the work involved by the GBG. Once they had followed Li’l O’s journey from an egg in Russia to the Plain, including time in the rearing pen in Saratov, they had good reason to see Li’l O as a Super-bird. They reflected on the ethics of re-introducing species and what would happen to the eggs if they weren’t rescued; the birds that are released here; those that are not released; helping both U.K. and Russian wildlife; plus jobs that are created here and in Russia.

For fun we challenged the pupils to think of Li’l O with an alter ego as a Super Hero. They gave a name, designated special powers and made a super vehicle with gadgets to help Li’l O in the super role. Interestingly, the pupils chose Bustard-related  challenges for Li’l O, mainly rescuing chicks and saving the birds from predators.

After lunch, we studied the attributes of real Great Bustards as Super Birds. This was followed by a workshop on flight and wing structures, involving the science of the flight and wings of aeroplanes, helicopters and birds . We learnt about the biology and structure of birds that enable them to fly – or not – as in the case of penguins and ostriches.

The culmination of the day was making flying paper Bustards and testing them in the school hall with an obstacle course representing threats to real flying bustards such as pylons and electricity cables, water, settlements and marshy areas.  Other classes came to watch the testing which was great fun.

Throughout the day pupils were thinking, making, doing, reflecting and planning. After each activity they were expected to discuss their work and how it could be improved and what they would like to share with others and work on in class.  Finally, they analysed the day as a whole and how they had worked as individuals and contributed to their team. They began work on how they will share the day with the rest of the school and decided to make their class assembly a Great Bustard Assembly.

Each pupil received a Li’l O replica [see website on how to make your own Li'l O], a Fergus badge, a certificate and great Bustard poster. The class was given a plaque as a memento of the day.  It was a huge pleasure spending the day at St. Andrew’s. The pupils were excellent ambassadors for St. Andrew’s and young people their age. They were polite, helpful and enthusiastic and were focussed and engaged throughout the day working over and above the level required by our high standards of challenging learning. It is clear from the reflection and planning sessions that the pupils learned a lot. We appreciated the commitment of everyone and know that the day has stimulated thought for future work in the school’s curriculum.

Our thanks to Mrs. Karen Walker, Headteacher, Mrs. Claire Woodward, Class 3 teacher and all the rest of the school for their warm welcome and hospitality.

Also thanks to Karen, Lynda and Tricia for their time preparing the resources and facilitating the day.

“We are the Great Bustards of Wiltshire!” So the opening announcement is shouted out to the audience, from our Squire, Andy Barrington. An experienced morris dancer from at least two sides, and a very talented musician. He not only plays the melodeon for the dance side, but also keyboards, concertina and many other instruments in his spare time. His wife, Liz, also well experienced in dance, and plays melodeon and flute and woodwind for the side.

The Wiltshire flag by Mike Pryor of Trowbridge

When the side that they were with folded due to lack of members, Andy began to think, ‘wait a minute – I could create a morris side.’ Whilst pondering this thought, they visited the Great Bustard Group in Salisbury and were enchanted by the reintroduction programme of these wonderful birds. They bought up lots of the badges and with Andy’s knowledge of the Bustard being featured on the flag for the county of Wiltshire (as designed by Mike Pryor) the name of the side was sealed. The Great Bustards of Wiltshire Morris!

It took three or four attempts to recruit enough people to begin with; but then it just seemed to take off! The costumes had been carefully designed and made by Liz, and they both wished their side to be the most smartly turned out morris side in Wiltshire, if not further afield. Resplendent green and gold baldricks, colourful flowery hats and shiny black shoes are their kit. They dance not just with the ordinary white hankerchiefs, but with additional green hankies too. To contrast with the hanky dances, they chose to do stick dances too. Using hazel sticks for some of the traditional dances, and axe handles, for the Bustards home-made dances. The axe handles are sturdy enough not to break easily and give a good loud, clear clashes.

Yes, that’s right, home-made dances. Andy and Liz invent their own dances, mostly in the style of Cotswold Morris (Wheatley and some from Adderbury. But they are not adverse to including ones from the Border, or hooligan dances such as Tinner’s Rabbit. But getting back to the home-made ones.

They try to raise awareness of the Bustards every time we dance, explaining how it is featured on the Wiltshire County flag and how it was Wiltshire’s native bird.
Uniquely, the Squire, has created two new dances in honour of the Birds.

One dance called the ‘Bustards Nest’, features the dancers taking on the role of the chicks, looking left and right for the parents bringing them food. Spinning round in their nest and stomping their feet when none is forthcoming.

Another dance (Flights of Fancy) features new dance figures such as ‘Wings’ which is unique. It begins with 2 dancers flying out behind their neighbours. Then all 4 of those dancers flying out in V shape to form a line with the remaining two dancers. This gives a line up of dancers facing the audience – totally new in Morris, and then they perform a chorus all in line behind one another. This looks great to see.

And they have adapted a third dance (a traditional one called Bluebells of Scotland – now Bluebells of Salisbury) which begins with the troupe all walking around in a large circle prior to the dance, singing: “Oh where, Oh where, have all the Bustards gone? They’ve gone down to Salisbury with all their feathers on” And then crack straight into a lively dance.

Although on one rare occasion the lyrics was changed again to “O where has all our audience gone?” Lol. Sadly on that occasion there were no doors at the event to be able to keep the crowd captive!

Editor’s note: You can find out more about the Great Bustards of Wiltshire Morris troop on their website: http://www.lightunderabushel.co.uk/GreatBustardsMorris.html

Stone-curlew, photo © David Kjaer

Our first stone-curlew of the year has returned to the release enclosure today, coinciding with some beautiful spring sunshine. It was spotted on a morning visit to the site. We assume it is the same male which has been breeding in the enclosure for the last five years, although only its partner is ringed so we cannot be sure. Hopefully the female will also return soon – she hatched in 2001 on Salisbury Plain, and the normal life expectancy of a stone-curlew is only about 10 years. Besides the stone-curlew, we saw our first wheatear yesterday, and the male bustards are displaying occasionally every day. The best time of year to visit Salisbury Plain is just starting.

Update, 27th March: We do now have a pair of stone-curlews, and it is in fact a new female which has joined the male. Its colour rings mean we can say that it hatched in 2009, about six miles from our release site.